Gallery: (11-5-2021) Volleyball vs. SWCU
(This match was later forfeited by WBU).
The Wayland Baptist volleyball team made quick work – really quick work, in fact – of Southwestern Christian on Senior Night on Friday in Hutcherson Center.
In their next-to-last regular-season match of the season, it took the Pioneers just over an hour to dispose of the Lady Eagles as Wayland chewed off points in large chunks all evening to win with ease, 25-7, 25-13, 25-6.
"We needed a match like that tonight just to work on some things," Wayland coach
Jim Giacomazzi said.
Ranked the equivalent of 34
th in the NAIA, Wayland (21-9, 14-5 SAC) hit .341 as a team, led by
Paxton Patterson's .400, eight-kill effort.
Tatijana Markic put down a team-best nine kills and hit .333, matched by
Alexa Hinojos and
Jayla Schultz who had six smashes each.
"We had a good night offensively. There was not much of a block on the other side," Giacomazzi said. "It's always nice to have a match like that to get some other people in the game. But that's also kind of a bummer because we're trying to get some girls post-season awards, and when they only play half-a-set it hurts (their averages).
Ariel Marquez recorded 22 of WBU's 48 digs, while Hinojos ended with three block-assists. The Pioneers logged 11 aces, three by
Wendy Cobbah.
Lucie Mahelova had 31 assists.
The Lady Eagles (6-19, 2-17) ended with a negative .097 hitting percentage.
"I told the girls we want to stay focused and stay disciplined so we can get something out of this. They did a pretty good job of that," Giacomazzi said. "We're trying to keep our discipline up and keep everything fresh, and trying to tune up for (Saturday) and Tuesday and hopefully past that."
The Pioneers end the regular-season at 11 a.m. Saturday against second-place Oklahoma City (17-9, 15-4), which fell on Friday at Oklahoma-Panhandle State, 25-18, 18-25, 25-20, 25-19.
A win over the Stars would leave Wayland in a tie for second with OCU and Southwestern Assemblies of God (23-8, 15-5), which end their regular-season Friday by sweeping John Brown.
"It looks like whatever happens we're going to play Mid-America Christian here on Tuesday" in the first round of the conference tournament, Giacomazzi said. "It should be a great match. We lost to them in five here and we beat them in three there."
First, though, the Pioneers would like to avenge a 25-23, 25-19, 25-23 loss to OCU in Oklahoma City back on Oct. 1.
